The Ford Mustang Failed The Australian Highway Patrol’s High Performance Test Because It Overheated
When we tested the 2015 Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT at a wet and windy Silverstone last month, we couldn’t help but fall for it. With new independent rear suspension, a 410bhp V8 and a sweet manual gearbox, we were overjoyed that Ford had finally given us a Mustang that felt at home on undulating UK roads.
With production of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore coming to an end, our friends down under have been searching for their next high performance patrol vehicle. The Mustang was their first choice with its sizeable boot, torque-laden V8 and well-regarded factory support. Unfortunately - and somewhat surprisingly - the GT failed the Australian Highway Patrol’s high performance test with Jalopnik reporting that the car overheated after just three minutes of “intense driving.”
The GT passed a brake test at the New South Wales (NSW) Police Driving Academy, but the automatic gearbox - a requirement for all vehicles on the force - put an end to proceedings, forcing the car into a “limp home mode” mid-way through a performance test. Business Insider Australia reported that the car even had to be taken to a local Ford dealership for repairs.
So it looks like the Ford is well and truly out of the running, but the NSW Police Department still has the Volvo S60 Polestar and Volkswagen Golf R Wagon on its shortlist. The car that they eventually choose will have to take part in Operation Freeflow, an operation designed to deter traffic offences by intimidating drivers to slow down. Granted, the Golf and Volvo will be better dynamically, but is there anything scarier than seeing a V8 Muscle car in your rear-view?
So this got us thinking. Can we help choose a car for the NSW Police Department? What automatic, high-performance car would you guys like to see join the force? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: EFTM and Business Insider Australia.
Comments
Why don’t they keep just using Commodores. The US and Canada still use Ford Crown Victoria’s from the early 2000’s
Dodge Chargers actually. Haven’t seen a Crown Vic for ages here in Ontario
Our town uses Chevy Caprice which is strange
aussies build great all round cars but the falcon is gone at the end of the year and the commodore gets replaced with the opel insignia next year
Crown Victorias were made until 2011.
We use 1996-2011 crown vics before switching to the newer interceptors and the escapes.
wasn’t it slow? they should have grabbed audi rs6 wagon.
Slow they do 12.6 12.7 stock all day
Sure the new rs6 avant is faster but these r cheap to fix unlike an audi
No way in Hell with the Police get a RS6. Thats a $250’000 car here! Even getting a $60’000 is considered ‘Pricey’
Wait so the point of Operation “FREEFLOW” is to intimidate and slow down?? Wtf?
I’m going to guess they just got a bad apple there are people who race and autocross them with the auto’s and don’t have transmission cooling issues. Now without more information that is just an assumption but something seems off to me that in three minutes it would go into limp home mode.
I know what you mean. When my family was looking for a new truck, we test drove all the super dutys and f-150 that they had. One of the f-250s was really mechanically not sound, and the other were. They should give the mustang another chance
That is a great news for street racers in Australia
I would like see some audi tt’s use for the law, but that’s just me being a audi fan.
Or chipped s4’s ;)
Sq5
Glad they didnt use a 911…
Gary roasted this car?
I know this is a joke but to clear up, when Porsche tested a 918 and GT3 on the Stuart Highway last year, they didn’t have any problems at all. Not even when the 918 went all the way to 350km/h.
Imagine all the policemen “policing” the shitt out of Australia in this car
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